Frictional draft gear



R. J. COOK FRIGTIO'NAL DRAFT GEAR original Flled Dec. so, 1918` 4 shee't-'s.sheet 1 Mar. 13, 1923.

R. J. COOK VFRICTIONAL DRAFT GEAR original Filed Dec 5o, 14918 4 Sheng-sheet 5 fa /wm Mar. 13, 1923.

' R. J. COOK FHICTIQNAL DRAFT GEAR Original Filed Dec. 4 sheets-sheet@ .AW @md Patented lidar. 13, 1923.

ROY J'. COOK, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE C. MURRAY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FRICTIONAL DRAFT GEAR.

Application iled December 30, 1918, Serial No. 268,943. Renewed August 4, 1922. Serial No. 579,768.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROY J. Coon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of illinois7 have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Frictional Draft Gears, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to draft rigging for railway cars andthe like, and its purpose is to provide an improved form of friction draft gear. The principal object of the invention is to provide a friction draft gear comprising an improved construction and arrangement of the frictional coacting elements. A furtherY object is to improve the efliciency of the draft gear by providing an increased number and an improved arrangement of the frictional surfaces. Other ob`- jects relate to various features of construction and arrangement which will be set forth more clearly hereinafter. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which two embodiments of my improved draft gear are illustrated.

In the drawings- Figure 1 shows a top plan view of the draft gear withv a portion thereof shown in horizontal section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 shows a vertical section through the draft gear on the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view ofone of the casings adapted to coact with and support the friction blocks;

Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of the draft rigging with the lower part thereof illustrated in vertical section on the line 1 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of a combined spring cap and friction block; y

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of the other side of the member Y illustrated yin Fig. 5; f

Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of one of the intermediate friction blocks adapted to coact with the blocks shown in. Figs. 5 and 6, and I Fig. 8 shows top plan view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified form uofthe invention in which the intermediate friction blocks are divided by a transverse plate in order to increasethe vnumber of. frictional contacting surfaces.

the depressions 13a formed in the In the drawings, my improved draft gear is shown mounted between draft sills 10 of channel form which have the usual draft lugs 11 secured thereto by rivets 12. The

bolts or rivets 14. The draw-bar yoke 15A of usual form has the forward ends of its upper and lower arms secured by rivets 16 to the butt 17- ofthe draw-bar 17, and the lower arm of the yoke is adapted to enter carrier bars 13.

The friction draft gear mounted within the yoke 15 comprisesv two casings 18 of the form illustrated particularly inFig. 3. Each casing 18 comprises upper and lower walls or plates 19 and 20, respectively, connected at their rear ends by the rear wall 21 which is formed integrally therewith. The upper and lower plates 19 and 2O are united adjacent their forwardf'edges by means of the integral inclined diverging plates or flanges 22 which are united to the rear wall 21 by the integral webs 23. The rear wall 21 is provided with a dowell pin or lug 21a to engage the spring of the draft gear, and the upper and lower walls 19 and 20` are furtherprovided with apertures 19a' and 202L to permit access to the parts of the gear within theJ casing.

Twoof these casings 18 a're mounted within the yoke 15 and rest upon the carrier lbars13, as shown in Fig 2. The casings 18 are mounted in the yoke with the rear wall 2l of one casing abutting against the rear face of the coupler butt 17a, and with the rear wall 21 of the other` casing engaging the rear wall of the yoke 15. Mounted between the easings 18 are two friction blocks 25 of the form illustrated particularly in Figs. 1` and 7. Each block comprises two hollow heads.. 25a which are of triangular cross-section and which are connected by the intermediate web or plate 25h. Each of the members 25El comprises two outwardly diverging contacting surfaces 25. The surfaces 25G at the outer end of each block are adapted to coact with and slide upon the outer similarly inclinedsurfaces of the walls 22formed on the casings 18. The Vsurfaces 25? on the inner heads 25a of the blocks 25 are adapted to contact with and slide upon the surfaces 26C which a're formed on the innermost wedging blocks 26. Each block 26 comprises two di verging plates 26a upon which the surfaces 26C are formed, and these plates are united by the end' plates or flanges 26h. Each block 26 is further provided with a rear wall or plate 26d, and the block is reinforced by webs 26e extending between the wall 26d and the flanges 26a. A dowel pin or lug 26f is formed on the rear face of each wall 26d for engagement with one end of one of the springs hereinafter described. The inner head 25L of each block 25v is cnt away at its upper and lower ends, as shown at 25, so that the end faces of these heads slide upon the end walls 26? of the inner blocks 26. rlhe lugs 25e formed by cutting away the ends of the inner members 25a eX- tend between the oppositely disposed edges of the. end walls 26b of the blocks 26 and serve to effect an automatic positioning of the elements when the yoke is in its normal position.

Two concentrically located coil springs 28 and 29 are mounted on each of the rear walls 21 of the casings 18 and the oppositely disposed walls 26d of the blocks 26, these springs being located within the casings 18 and being retained in position by the dowel pins 21a and 26f heretofore described. rEhese springs normally force the blocks 26 toward each other and thus maintain the elements of the draft mechanism inl the normal position illustrated in Fig. 1.

When the draw-bar is moved forwardly, the forward casing 18 remains stationary againstI the forwardA draft lugs 11,k and the rear casing- 18 is moved forwardly by the yoke 15. The forward movement of the rear casing 18 operates to move the friction blocks 25 in an outward and forward direction dueI to the coaction of the inclined walls 22 with the inclined surfaces of the outer heads 25iL of the blocks25. This causes the inner heads 25a of the blocks 25. to slide outwardly. on the inclined surfaces 26c of the blocks 26, whereupon the blocksI 26 are moved away from each. other toward the opposite ends of the draft rigging, thus compressing the springs 28 and 29 between the blocks 26 and the end walls 21 of the casings. When the draw bargis. movedrea'r wardly, the forward casing slidesin. aV rearward direction, while the rear casing 18 remains stationary against the rear draftlugs 11, whereuponY the4 springs 28 and 29. are again compressed bymovement ofthe fric* tion blocks somewhat` similar to that just described, aswill be appa-rent from theY foregoing description.

` 1n Figs. 8 ofthe drawings, 1 have. illustrate@ a modified form. of" thenventon above clesrbe.e This. medicaton is. simi? lar. to. the. first form except. that'an. addr bienal. member haSbeen@ addieda't-thacentral part of the draft gear in order to increase the number of frictional coacting surfaces. 1n this embodiment of the invention two casings 35 are provided within the yoke 36, these casings. being similar to the casing 18 employed in connection with the first form of the invention, being provided with inwardly converging flanges 37. The inten mediate friction blocks corresponding to the blocks 25, previously described, are divided in this form of the invention, there being two blocks 38 divided by a transverse plate 39. The two blocks 3 8 at each side of the draft gear form together a structure similar to the single block previously described, and these blocks coact with the central il-shaped friction blocks i-O which engage the coil springs 41 andr 42 extending between the central blocks and the end walls of the casings. The transverse plate 39 is provided with oppositely directed central lugs 4A which engage apertures in the central parts of the blocks 38, and thus guide and support the plate 39 as the blocks 38 slide thereon. ltwill be seen that as the draft gear is compressed, the gear will move outwardly between the flanges 37 and will thus slide on the plate 39 in addition to sliding on the inclined surfaces of the block 40, thus increasing the frictional resistance which is opposed to the movement of the draft gear.

While 1 have shown and described two embodiments of the invention for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that the apparatus may be constructedv ink Various different formsr without departing from the scope of the appended claims.y

1 claim;

1.` The combination in a draft gear, of a yoke,` a pair of casings mounted within said yoke, each of said casings having inclined flanges converging toward. the central part of the draft gear and toward the` opposite casing, draft lugs engaging said casings, friction blocks mounted between said casings and coacting with the inclined iianges thereof,l and compression devices engaging said easings and said friction blocks.

2. The combination in a. draft gear, of a pair of casings each having two inclined flangesv converging towardy the central part of the draft gear, pair of friet-ion blocks each having` converging surfaces coacting with one flange of each of said casings. and having other direrging inclined surfaces directed inwardly therefrom, central friction blockshaving incl-ined surfaces coacting with said last-'named surfaces of said firstnamed friction blecks,v and compression devices, engaging said central friction blocks.

3. TheGln-bination in a draft gear, of a pair of Casillas, having upper aid'lower walls. united. by.v converging. flanges directed toward the ucentral part of the. draft. gear,

intermediate friction blocks having inclined surfaces coacting with said flanges and having other diverging surfaces directed in wardly from said flanges, central friction blocks having diverging surfaces coacting with the last-mentioned surfaces on said intermediate friction blocks, and springs mounted Within said casings and engaging said central friction blocks.

4. The combination in a draft gear, of oppositely disposed casings having upper and lower walls united by end walls and by inclined flanges which converge toward the central part of the draft gear', a pair of intermediate friction blocks each having two heads of triangular cross-section, one of said heads of said intermediate friction blocks being adapted to fit between and coact with the opposite inclined flanges of said casings, central friction blocks having diverging flanges adapted to coact with the other heads of said intermediate friction bloclks, and springs mounted between said central friction blocks and said end walls of said casing.

5. The combination in a draft gear, of oppositely disposed casings having upper and lower walls united by end walls and by inclined flanges which converge toward the central part of the draft gear, a pair of intermediate friction blocks each having two heads of triangular cross section, one of said heads of said intermediate friction blocks being adapted to fit between and coact with the opposite inclined flanges of said casings, central friction blocks having diverging flanges adapted to coact with the other heads of said intermediate friction blocks, and springs mounted between said central friction blocks and said end walls of said casing,

said intermediate friction blocks and said 40 central friction blocks being supported and retained in position by the upper and lower walls of said casings. v

6. The combination in a draft gear of yoke, a pair of casings mounted within said yoke, said casings being provided with friction surfaces, a pair of side friction blocks each engaging the friction surfaces of said casings, and compressible mechanism eX- tending in opposite directions from the inner parts of said side friction blocks to each of said casings, the coactng surfaces of said side friction blocks and said casings being adapted to cause the sepa-ration of said blocks upon moven'lent of said casings toward each other.

7.- The combination in a draft gear of a yoke, a pair of casings mounted in said yoke, said casings being provided with oppositely disposed inclined friction surfaces, side friction blocks each having inclined surfaces adapted to coact with the opposite inclined surfaces on said casings, said side friction blocks being provided with inwardly directed parts having other inclined surfaces formed thereon, central friction blocks having inclined surfaces adapted to coact with said other inclined surfaces of said side friction blocks, and compressible mechanism eX- tending between said central friction blocks and said casings, said side friction blocks being adapted to move outwardly and said central friction blocks being adapted to separate longitudinally -of the yoke upon compression of the draft gear.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

ROY J. COOK. 

